Marital fidelity and family values in general are
emphasized in this big, brash musical based on the life of pop entertainment
pioneer P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman). The 19th-century impresario's rise from
poverty to worldwide fame is facilitated by his well-bred wife (Michelle
Williams) and equally genteel partner (Zac Efron). But tensions arise when he
shifts his focus from the cast of social outsiders who perform under his
auspices to concentrate on backing the American premiere of Swedish diva Jenny
Lind (Rebecca Ferguson). Director Michael Gracey's feature debut, which also
stars Zendaya as the African-American trapeze artist with whom Efron's
character shares a convention-defying romance, is historically naive in its
backward projection of contemporary values onto Victorian-era America, and its
brassy score, though well-suited to its subject matter, will best please those
who appreciate the Lloyd-Webber style of Broadway and West End theater. Still,
though unlikely to engage the youngest viewers, the film is appropriate for
most others.
Watch out for: Some
nonlethal violence, a mild oath, a racial slur.
Rated:
A-II, adults and adolescents; MPAA: PG
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2018